تِلكَthat عِرسِيmy wife تَلُومُنيshe reproaches me فيfor التَصابيyouthful dalliance
تِلكَ عِرسِي تَلُومُني في التَصابي
مَلَّhas grown weary سَمعيmy hearing وَماand not تَمَلُّshe tires of عِتابيreproaching me
مَلَّ سَمعي وَما تَمَلُّ عِتابي
There is my wife, reproaching me for youthful dalliance.
That is my betrothed blaming me during discord
My ears are weary, yet she never tires of reproaching me.
My hearing is weary and her blame does not cease
أَهجَرَتshe spoke harshly فيin المَلامِreproach تَزعمُshe claims أَنّيthat I
أَهجَرَت في المَلامِ تَزعمُ أَنّي
لاحَhas appeared شَيبيmy gray hair وَقَدand already تَوَلّىhas departed شَبابيmy youth
لاحَ شَيبي وَقَد تَوَلّى شَبابي
She speaks harshly in reproach, claiming that
She became estranged with blame, claiming that
my gray hair has appeared and my youth has departed,
My gray hair appeared though my youth has passed
أَنbecause رَأَتshe saw رَوعَةًa startling sight مِنَof الشَيبِgray hair صارَتit became
أَن رَأَت رَوعَةً مِنَ الشَيبِ صارَت
فيat قذاليthe back of my head مُبِينَةًclearly visible كِالشِهابِlike a firebrand
في قذالي مُبِينَةً كِالشِهابِ
because she saw a startling patch of gray that had become
When she saw some gray strands, she openly
plain at the back of my head, like a firebrand
Rebuked me in my graying hair like a shooting star
تَحتَbeneath لَيلٍnight بِكَفٍّin the hand of قابِسِone seeking نارٍfire
تَحتَ لَيلٍ بِكَفٍّ قابِسِ نارٍ
إِعتَشاهاhe sought it by night بِعارِضٍthrough a bank مِنof سَحابِclouds
إِعتَشاها بِعارِضٍ مِن سَحابِ
beneath the night, in the hand of one seeking fire,
Under a night with a blazing clenched hand
who sought it by night through a bank of clouds.
I sought refuge in a cloud's edge for shelter
قُلتُI said مَهلاًeasy now! فَقَدfor already عَلِمتِyou know إِبائِيmy refusal
قُلتُ مَهلاً فَقَد عَلِمتِ إِبائِي
مِنكِfrom you هَذاthis وَقَدand already عَلِمتyou know جَوابيmy answer
مِنكِ هَذا وَقَد عَلِمت جَوابي
I said: Easy now! You know I will not accept
I said wait, you know my refusal of you
this from you, and you know my answer.
And you know my answer, and my graying is no deterrent
لَيسَis not ناهِيَّwhat restrains me عَنfrom طِلابِseeking الغَوانيbeautiful women
لَيسَ ناهِيَّ عَن طِلابِ الغَواني
وَخطُa sprinkling شَيبٍof gray hair بَداhas appeared وَدِرسُand the fading خِضابِof hair dye
وَخطُ شَيبٍ بَدا وَدِرسُ خِضابِ
I am not deterred from pursuing beautiful women
From seeking passions, though gray strands appeared and kohl faded away
by specks of gray that show, or by fading dye,
And riding when the coward curled up
وَرُكُوبٌand riding إِذاwhen الجَبانُthe coward تَطَوّىcurls up
وَرُكُوبٌ إِذا الجَبانُ تَطَوّى
فَرَقاًin fear عِندَbeside عِرسِهِhis wife فيin الثِيابِclothes
فَرَقاً عِندَ عِرسِهِ في الثِيابِ
nor by riding when the coward curls up
Apart from his betrothed in clothes
in terror beside his wife, within his clothes.
I carry the sword above the pink rosebud
أَحمِلُI carry السَيفَthe sword فَوقَupon أَقرَحwhite-starred on the forehead وَردٍa reddish horse
أَحمِلُ السَيفَ فَوقَ أَقرَح وَردٍ
ذيpossessing حُجُولٍwhite stockings كَأَنَّهُas though it were سِيدُa wolf غابِof the woods
ذي حُجُولٍ كَأَنَّهُ سِيدُ غابِ
I carry the sword on a reddish horse with a white forehead star,
As if it is the master of the forest
with white stockings, as though it were a wolf of the woods.
I face horror in battles, my feet
أَجشَمُI brave الهَولَterror فيfor الكَعابِround-breasted maidens وَقِدماًand of old
أَجشَمُ الهَولَ في الكَعابِ وَقِدماً
جَشِمَbraved الهَولَterror ذُوone possessed of الهَوىlove فيfor الكَعابِround-breasted maidens
جَشِمَ الهَولَ ذُو الهَوى في الكَعابِ
I brave terrors for round-breasted maidens; and of old
Faced horror, the passionate one in fights
the lover braved terrors for round-breasted maidens.
O palace of porches and gardens
أَيُّهاO القَصرُpalace ذُوpossessing الأَواسِيِّfoundations وَالبُسand the gar-
أَيُّها القَصرُ ذُو الأَواسِيِّ وَالبُس
تانِ-den بَينَamong القُصُورِthe palaces فَوقَabove الظِرابِthe hillocks
تانِ بَينَ القُصُورِ فَوقَ الظِرابِ
O palace, with foundations and a gar-
Among palaces atop the hills
den, among the palaces above the hillocks,
God distinguished you with construction
خَصَّكَmay He favor you اللَهُGod بِالعِمارَةِwith flourishing habitation مِنهُfrom Him
خَصَّكَ اللَهُ بِالعِمارَةِ مِنهُ
وَوَقاكَand may He protect you المَليكُthe Sovereign وَشكَthe imminence of الخَرابِruin
وَوَقاكَ المَليكُ وَشكَ الخَرابِ
may God favor you with flourishing habitation from Him,
And the King protected you from destruction
and may the Sovereign spare you imminent ruin.
I and the stirrers with a group
إِنَّنيindeed I وَالمُجَمِّرِينَby those assembled بِجَمعٍat Jamʿ
إِنَّني وَالمُجَمِّرِينَ بِجَمعٍ
وَالمُنيخِينَand those encamping خَلفَهُمbehind them بِالحِصابِat al-Ḥiṣāb
وَالمُنيخِينَ خَلفَهُم بِالحِصابِ
I swear by those assembled at Jamʿ,
And the movers behind them with barriers
and those encamped behind them at al-Ḥiṣāb:
I will not abandon you as long as I live in my love
لَمnot أَحُلI turned away عَنكَfrom you ماas long as حَيِيتُI lived بِوُدّيin my affection
لَم أَحُل عَنكَ ما حَيِيتُ بِوُدّي
أَبَداًever أَوunless يَحُولَchanges لَونُthe color الغُرابِof the raven
أَبَداً أَو يَحُولَ لَونُ الغُرابِ
I have not turned my affection from you throughout my life,
Or the color of the raven changes
nor ever will—unless the raven changes color.
The caring guardian protects it
دَونَهاbefore her الحارِسُthe guard الشَفِيقُconcerned عَلَيهاfor her
دَونَها الحارِسُ الشَفِيقُ عَلَيها
قَدalready تَولّىhas taken charge of مَفاتِحَthe keys الأَبوابِof the doors
قَد تَولّى مَفاتِحَ الأَبوابِ
Before her stands the guard, concerned for her,
Having taken over the keys to the doors
who has taken charge of the keys to the doors,
With battlements like the pillar of a mountain
بِمُنيفٍin a lofty palace كَأَنَّهُas though it were رُكنُa buttress طَودٍof a mountain
بِمُنيفٍ كَأَنَّهُ رُكنُ طَودٍ
ذيpossessing أَواسٍfoundations مُطَمَّرِraised high المِحرابِthe inner chamber
ذي أَواسٍ مُطَمَّرِ المِحرابِ
in a lofty palace, like a mountain's buttress,
With niches and the prayer nook immersed
with foundations and a lofty inner chamber.
And I climbed up to it with ropes
وَتَرَقَّيتُand I climbed up بِالحِبالِwith ropes إِلَيهاto her
وَتَرَقَّيتُ بِالحِبالِ إِلَيها
بَعدَafter هَدءٍa stretch of night وَغَفلَةِand the heedlessness البَوّابِof the doorkeeper
بَعدَ هَدءٍ وَغَفلَةِ البَوّابِ
And I climbed up to her with ropes,
After the guards were done and inattentive
after a stretch of night, with the doorkeeper off his guard.
She rewarded me for what I did with fine reward
فَجَزَتنيthen she repaid me بِماfor what عَمِلتُI did ثَواباًa reward
فَجَزَتني بِما عَمِلتُ ثَواباً
حَسَناًgood كُنتُI was أَهلَworthy of ذاكَthat الثَوابِreward
حَسَناً كُنتُ أَهلَ ذاكَ الثَوابِ
Then she repaid me for what I had done with a reward,
I was deserving of that reward
a fine one—I was worthy of that reward:
With an embrace despite fearing the eyes
إِعتِناقاًan embrace عَلىdespite مَخافَةِfear of عَينٍan eye
إِعتِناقاً عَلى مَخافَةِ عَينٍ
قَدalready رُمِقناwe were watched بِهاthrough it وَقَومٍand people غِضابِangry
قَد رُمِقنا بِها وَقَومٍ غِضابِ
an embrace, despite fear of an eye
That glanced at us and angry people
through which we had been watched, and of angry folk.
Partial English translation: 35 of 36 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1